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Poll Respondents Give Kentucky Governor, Lawmakers Poor Grades on the 2018 General Assembly

J. Tyler Franklin, WFPL

Fresh off this year’s legislative session, a new poll suggests that Kentuckians aren’t happy with the work of the governor and state lawmakers. 

Only 32 percent of Kentuckians surveyed this month approved of Republican Governor Matt Bevin’s job performance.  Political Science Professor Joel Turner heads the Social Science Research Center at Western Kentucky University, which conducted the poll. 

He says despite Bevin’s low approval rating, his hardcore supporters appear to appreciate his recent efforts during the General Assembly.

"One thing you have to give the governor credit for, like him or not, or whether you agree with his approach, he has tackled head-on this pension issue," Turner told WKU Public Radio. "It will be a test case. It's hard to predict the future, but he should probably be glad he's not running for re-election tomorrow."

Dr. Turner says pension reform is likely to blame for the General Assembly’s even lower approval rating at 25 percent.  He says the legislature was expected to be criticized for reforming the pension system regardless of how they did it, but says state lawmakers took at PR hit by how quickly the legislation was passed and how it was attached to a sewage bill.  The sexual harassment scandal involving four House Republicans was also a blemish on this year's session.

The poll was take April 11-15 and surveyed 531 Kentucky residents.  The margin of error was plus or minus four percentage points.

© 2018 WKU Public Radio

Lisa is a Scottsville native and WKU alum. She has worked in radio as a news reporter and anchor for 18 years. Prior to joining WKU Public Radio, she most recently worked at WHAS in Louisville and WLAC in Nashville. She has received numerous awards from the Associated Press, including Best Reporter in Kentucky. Many of her stories have been heard on NPR.
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